David Russell: Why Michigan cities should move to even-year elections

6:23 PM, May 8, 2013

Proponents of odd-year elections argue that the system allows voters to focus on local matters without being distracted by national and state issues that sit atop even-year ballots. However, while voters may be more focused on local issues, vastly fewer of them decide to participate in these elections / 2012 photo by REGINA H. BOONE/Detroit Free Press

By David Russell

Detroit Free Press guest writer

There are six cities and three school districts currently operating with an emergency manager. In addition to having severe financial problems, all of these cities and districts have a history of choosing their leaders in odd-year elections that have low turnout and little participation from the public. That this correlation exists suggests that cities under emergency management and all other Michigan cities would be better off electing their local leaders in even-year November elections. Proponents of odd-year elections argue that the system allows voters to focus on local matters without being distracted by national and state issues that sit atop even-year ballots. However, while voters may be more focused on local issues, vastly fewer of them decide to participate in these elections.

The turnout numbers for odd-year elections in entities before they went into emergency management were mostly abysmal. Allen Park, the most recent city to be put under the control of an EM, actually had an admirable turnout of 43% in its 2011 mayoral election. That was the highest of any city where data were available. In other cases, residents abandoned their local elections at an alarming rate. In Detroit, the turnout in the 2009 mayoral election was 22%. In Benton Harbor, 14% voted in the 2007 mayoral contest. The turnout for school board elections was worse. In the 2007 district elections, held before an EM took over, only 9% of registered voters took part in deciding on board members for Detroit Public Schools.

In 2011, the state Legislature passed a law mandating that future school board elections be held in November of even years. Last November, Grand Rapids Public Schools, the state’s fifth-largest district by enrollment, held a school board race. In the uncontested election, both candidates received more than twice as many votes (38,902 and 38,841) as were cast in the city’s mayoral election (17,360). There was significantly more participation in a down-ballot school board race than in a top-line mayoral election. Voters took the time to vote in the election, even though it was listed beneath various state and federal races, it was uncontested, and it was non-partisan, meaning they could not just vote straight-ticket and skip over it. Voters are clearly capable of voting on local, state and federal matters at the same time.

In fact, Michigan voters living in townships already elect their local government during even-year general elections. No township is currently under emergency management. Townships generally have fewer services, fewer public employees and fewer pensions. Clinton Township, the state’s most populous township, held its elections last November. The race for the low-profile office of township clerk received 59% turnout by drawing participation from 43,763 of the township’s 73,807 registered voters. This was only an 8% drop from the total number of township voters that voted in the presidential election. When municipalities make it convenient, residents will take the time to vote on local matters.

On March 28, Public Act 523 went into effect. This new law allows cities to move their elections to even years. Cities can adopt this reform now. Those already holding elections this year would (and should) have to wait until those are done for it to go into effect. Michigan voters clearly prefer to participate in November even-year elections. Michigan cities should make the switch to draw more residents into the local democratic process and save money by combining elections.